Belt with belt buckle



Nov. 17,1970 R. BERNING BELT WITH BELT BUCKLE Filed Feb. 5, 1969 Fig.7

2 Sheets-Sheet l INVENTOR. Y

NOV. 17, 1970 BERNING I 3,540,085

BELT WITH BELT BUCKLE V 1 7 Filed Feb. 5, 1969 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Fig.5

g L. 1% I '1 "1 1i 151 15 115 1' ii! I Fig.6 2 15 3 11 12 9' W BYINVENTOR.

United States Patent 3,540,085 BELT WITH BELT BUCKLE Rudolf Berniug,Schwelm, Germany, assignor to Astor- Werke Otto Berning & C0,, Schwelm,Germany, a corporation of Germany Filed Feb. 3, 1969, Ser. No. 795,923Claims priority, application Germany, Feb. 2, 1968, A 29,224; July 6,1968, 1,760,829 Int. Cl. A44b 11/12 US. Cl. 24-77 11 Claims ABSTRACT OFTHE DISCLOSURE A belt with a belt buckle, in which the buckle comprisesa frame-like bottom part and a material-covered upper part whichclampingly secures the edges of covering material, thereto. A holdingdevice carried by the parts is provided within an opening of the bucklefor securing predetermined belt lengths. A plate is held by webs andextends below the material, the latter completely covering the buckleopening. The plate supports at least one clamping closure, and thelatter presses one end of the belt in an anchoring manner toward theplate.

The present invention relates to a belt with a buckle, which comprises aframe-like lower part and a materialcovered upper part with clamping ofthe material edges, whereby within the buckle opening a holding devicecarried by the buckle frame parts is arranged for securing ofpredetermined belt lengths.

The most usual holding devices on belt buckles are formed as a thornmounted on a buckle web which projects through corresponding holes onthe free end of the belt, whereupon the free thorn end engages lockinglyone frame arm of the buckle body. These structures are, however, notfavorable, since they permit only a step-wise adjustment correspondingto the chosen distance between the holes. Furthermore, the other end ofthe belt must be wound around the web, in order to be held here by riveting or sewing. Partly more advantageous embodiments are, however, suchlikewise known belt buckles, which are equipped with a sweep disposed onthe center web of the buckle, which presses the belt, passed throughwith its one side edge, against the corresponding outer web of thebuckle frame and thus retains the passed through belt. It is, though,necessary here also to connect the buckle sided end of the belt byexample by riveting with the sweep part. Furthermore, this belt buckleis not completely free from sliding depending upon the used beltmaterial. All known structures have inherently in addi tion thedrawback, tthat the ends of the belt must be always clearly edged, inparticular because the one end, namely the belt point, is free duringwear in outward direction.

It is one object of the present invention to provide a belt with abuckle which permits in each reliable connection a favorable securing ofthe ends of the belt such, that a clean edging etc. of the ends of thebelt, in particular the special preparation of a belt point can beomitted because both ends of the buckle are covered up by holding partsof the buckle and by the belt, respectively.

It is another object of the present invention to provide a belt with abuckle, wherein a plate is held by webs and extends below the materialcompletely closing the buckle opening, which plate mounts at least oneclamping closure, which presses the one end of the belt anchoringagainst the plate.

It is favorable thereby, if in accordance with the present invention,the plate has holes on the wide faces adjacent the clamping closure forhooking in the other end of the belt.

An advantageous formation of the present invention is realized such,that between the normal material and the plate, a supporting disc isarranged, which is tensioned by means of the material against the upperside of the buckle frame upper part and leaves free an open distance tothe plate.

It is yet another object of the present invention to provide a belt witha buckle which realizes a favorable structural design, if the plate iscarried by webs disposed between the buckle frame parts.

An advantageous feature of the present invention resides furthermore inthe fact that the angular sheet forming the clamping closure is mountedat both ends in a wing projecting each from the plate.

For a small structure, it is of advantage if, in accordance with thepresent invention, the plate comes back relative to the buckle frameunderside.

Another advantageous feature of the present invention resides in thefact that the plate amounts to two clamping closures in form of angularsheets assuming the closing position by oppositely directed snapmovements, one, namely the shorter arm of the angular sheets, formsprojections anchored in the wide face of the belt.

It is also of advantage if, in accordance with the present invention,the angle of the two clamping closures overlap each other in snapped-inposition with their longer arms.

Furthermore, it is of advantage, if, in accordance with the presentinvention, both angular sheets are mounted at both ends in a wingforming an angle each relative to the plate.

'Finally, due to such structure, a belt with a belt buckle is createdfavorable in use, which is also easily producible and which makespossible an advantageous direct connection of a buckle with belt strips.The base plate carrying the clamping closure or the clamping closures inform of angular sheets on a correspondingly provided Wing or on wings isseparately premountable, so that a fast end mounting is made possible.

In particular, this circumstance shows to be as particularly favorablein case of mass articles. By providing of a supporting disc, thematerial covering the disc remains sufliciently taut. The one belt endcan be secured in suitable length adjustment. An appreciablesimplification is given for the belt manufacturer, without causingdisadvantages in use for the user. The producer can omit the verycomplicated and also expensive production of the cleanly edged beltpoint, since the point is now disposed below the closely covered buckleframe, thus removed from view. By provision of two clamping closures, atfirst the belt end to be connected with the buckle body is secured,whereby the projections of the angular sheet bring about in form of anindentation web a clamping securing. A second angular sheet foldableover the first angular sheet is coordinated to the free belt end. Thefixing of this belt end can be provided without steps. Due to the factthat the longer angular arms are arranged overlappingly in particular, asmall structure can be realized, so that all structural parts necessaryfor the securing of the belt ends can be provided within the buckleopening, which first of all is also possible, because the plate mountingthe same still jumps back relative to the buckle frame underside. Byprovision of a supporting disc, even with the longest time periods ofuse, the material covering these parts remain sufficiently taut. Theconvex curvature of the one angular sheet arm favors the introduction ofthe one belt end in its following securing.

With these and other objects in view, which will become apparent in thefollowing detailed description, the present invention, which is shown byexample only, will be clearly understood in connection with theaccompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a front elevation of the belt with a buckle disclosing a firstembodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a rear elevation thereof, one end of the belt being spacedapart from the corresponding buckle;

FIG. 3 is a section along the lines 3-3 of FIG. 2, the free belt endbeing removed;

FIG. 4 is a section similar to that shown in FIG. 3, however, with thefree belt end connected;

FIG. 5 is a rear elevation of the belt buckle in accordance with asecond embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 6 is a section along the lines 66 of FIG. 5; and

FIG. 7 is a section of FIG. 6, however, with the secured belt end.

Referring now to the drawings, and in particular to FIGS. l-4, the beltbuckle, in accordance with the first embodiment of the presentinvention, has a frame-like lower part 1 produced from a metal blank anda likewise frame-like upper part 2 consisting of the same material. Thelatter has a covering material 3-. The latter is held clampingly withits material edges between the lower part 1 and the upper part 2. As canbe ascertained from FIGS. 3 and 4, a double layer of covering material 3is used.

In the buckle opening is disposed a plate 4. The latter is outwardlyremoved from view by the covering material 3. It has for holding the onebelt end 9' the clamping closure 5 capable of being brought into closingposition by means of a snapping movement. The clamping closure 5 is madeof an angular sheet metal. The shorter arm 5' of this clampingclosure-angular sheet 5 enters with projections, by example, those inform of a tooth edge 7 into the wide face of the belt strip 9.

The clamping closure-angular sheet 5 holds the belt end 9' on the bucklebody. Thereby, an engagement by pressure against the plate 4 takesplace.

The pivot point for the clamping closure-angular sheet 5 is formed bywings 10 and 11 projecting on both sides of the plate 4. The wings 10and 11 have bearing bores 12 and axle loops 13 projecting beyond thelength of the angular sheets into the bearing bores 12.

At least the longer arm 5" of the clamping closureangular sheet 5 isconvexly curved.

The plate 4 is arranged falling back relative to the buckle frameunderside. Suitable, thereby, the full depth of the buckle hollow isused up, so that the plate 4 extends still in the curved plane of thebuckle upper part. By this arrangement, sufficient space remainsparticularly in mounting buckles for the arrangement of the clampingclosure 5.

As shown in FIG. 3, between the material 3 and the plate 4, a supportingdisc 16 is provided. The latter is tensioned by means of the material 3against the upper side of the buckle frame upper part 2. The supportingdisc 16 can be made of plexiglass, synthetic material or metal. It lendsto the material 3 a fold-free appearance, even in case of slightrelaxing material tension. It leaves free a distance to the plate 4.

In its securing, the plate 4 is equipped with webs 17. The latter areformed by freely cutting of corresponding metal sections from the plate4 itself. They enter between the buckle frame parts 1 and 2.

On the Wide face adjacent the clamping closure 5 the plate 4 has hookingholes 18, which project into slots 19 of smaller cross-section and servefor hooking in the undercut heads 20 of the other end of the belt 9".The open distance x permits an easy hooking in without danger of apressing through in outward direction.

In the embodiment disclosed in FIGS. 5-7, instead of the hooking inholes 18 and heads 20, a further clamping closure is used. Theadditional clamping closure is again in the shape of an angular sheet 6.The shorter arm 6- has the tooth edge 7. The angular sheet 5 holds theend of the belt 9' on the buckle body. The angular sheet '6, however, isused for the securing of the desired belt length.

In case of a closed buckle, the two longer formed angular sheet-arms 5and 6" overlap each other. In this position, the angular sheets 5 and 6entered beyond their deadpoint position TT and T'T' between the pivotpoint and the next disposed remote point to the plate 4. It results thusa certain snapping effect. The pulling effect occurring in the belt endsin the direction of the arrow x charges the angular sheets 5 and 6 inclosing direction.

The pivot point for the angular sheets 5 and 6 is formed by wings 10 and11 angularly disposed on both ends of the plate 4. The wings 10 and 11have bearing bolts 12. The axial members 13 enter into the latter.

At least the longer arm 5" of the one angular sheet 5 is convexlycurved. This has the advantage of a favorable guiding for the free beltend 9" to be inserted.

Furthermore, the longer arms 5" and 6" of both angular sheets 5 and 6have recesses 14 and gripping recesses 15 open towards the free end ofthis arm, respectively.

Also the plate 4 of this embodiment is arranged to jump back relative tothe buckle frame underside, which is provided in the interest of apossibly flat structure of the belt buckle.

To its securing the plate 4 is again equipped with webs 17 The latterare formed by the plate 4 itself by free cutting of corresponding metalsections. They are at first of a high angle relative to the plane andfollow parallel to this plane bent outwardly such, that they enter withweb sections 17' between the buckle frame parts 1 and 2.

While I have disclosed several embodiments of the present invention, itis to be understood that these embodiments are given by example only andnot in a limiting sense.

I claim:

1. A belt with a belt buckle, the buckle comprising a frame-like bottompart and a material-covered upper part clampingly securing the edges ofcovering material,

a holding device carried by said parts within an opening of said bucklefor securing predetermined belt lengths,

a plate held by webs and extending below said material, the lattercompletely covering said buckle opening,

said plate supporting at least one clamping closure, and

said clamping closure pressing one end of said belt in an anchoringmanner towards said plate.

2. The belt, as set forth in claim 1, wherein said plate has holes atits inside face for hooking in the other belt end.

3. The belt, as set forth in claim 1, which includes a supporting discdisposed between said covering material and said plate,

said supporting plate is tensioned towards the upper side of said upperframe part and leaves an open space to said plate.

4. The belt, as set forth in claim 1, wherein web portions enter betweensaid frame parts and carry said plate.

5. The belt, as set forth in claim 4, wherein at least the longer ofsaid arms of one of said angular sheets is convexly curved.

6. The belt, as set forth in claim 1, wherein said clamping closurecomprises an angular sheet, and

two angular wings extend from said plate and support said angular sheetat opposite ends thereof.

7. The belt, as set forth in claim 1, wherein said plate springsbackwardly relative to said frame bottom part.

8. The belt, as set forth in claim 1, wherein said plate supports two ofsaid clamping closures comprising angular sheets to enter the closingportions by oppositely directed snapping movements, and

one of the arms of said angular sheets defines projections anchored inthe wide face of said belt.

9. The belt, as set forth in claim 8 wherein said angular sheets overlapeach other with the longer of said arms.

10. The belt, as set forth in claim 9, wherein said two angular sheetsare mounted on both ends in a wing projecting angularly from said plate.

11. The belt, as set forth in claim 1, wherein said clamping closurecomprises at least one angular sheet having a longer and a shorter arm,and

the longer arm of said angular sheet has recesses for engagement duringthe opening movement.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS DONALD A. GRIFFIN, PrimaryExaminer U.S. Cl. X.R.

